Key Moments
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees a early header ricochet off the upright.
- Brenden Aaronson puts the hosts ahead with a well-placed effort in the second half.
- Cunha responds just three minutes later.
- Leeds extend their longest Premier League unbeaten run since 2001.
The Red Devils' disappointing recent struggles persisted at Elland Road, but manager Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team not suffering even more disappointment against their old rivals.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-period effort against the woodwork for the confident home team before the American midfielder finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.
At that stage, the United boss was in the firing line after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
However, against a team who had less time to prepare, the forward levelled three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a pass from introduced the Dutchman and slid a finish underneath rushing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the Brazilian's fourth goal since his big-money summer move and came at a time when the manager is without several key attacking players due to a mix of injury and national team commitments.
Not that you would expect Leeds to sympathise with that given their own tight schedule.
Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard to make an impression, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from close range.
Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the contest, also blasted against a post late on.
The draw extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their longest such streak since 2001, and takes them a significant margin clear of the drop zone.
For the Manchester United though, it was yet another opportunity to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a short time, squandered.
Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Misfire Again
With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.
Current injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only heightened the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on the team's squad.
It's not that the absent players are the solution to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered poor results earlier in the campaign.
But without them, the boss has limited attacking options.
He clearly does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the assist for the equaliser almost instantly after his arrival as a replacement.
That leaves Cunha, who has now scored a small tally in five games, and others playing out of their natural positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.
On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in belief and conviction in front of goal.
Sesko's failure to turn home the cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the new signing.
Leeds United Breakdown: Another Step Towards Survival
After memorable victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a bit drab affair.
True, there were instances of typical fervor, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in other fixtures.
Leeds' fans were more preoccupied about their side's struggle to get sustained possession in dangerous areas for any length of time.
The striker's header that clipped the post was an rare moment of quality in a congested first half.
It still felt as though the hosts were struggling when a defensive error opened the door for Aaronson.
Ever so briefly, The home ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.
Nevertheless, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.
When they endured a difficult run of form earlier in the season, many speculated about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now masterminding significant improvement.
The task is not done yet but gradually, the team are getting closer to securing their survival.
Looking Ahead
The Yorkshire club have a top-flight trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a Premier League trip to Burnley before also entering their FA Cup journey with a home tie.
